From Information Systems to User Information Behavior: A Shift in Perspective
The area of information science has seen significant changes over the past few decades. What was traditionally about information systems, those that are the means by which information was transferred is no longer; instead, there is an emphasis that is more about people and how they interact with information.
It represents an important transition from the ‘system-oriented’ to ‘user-oriented’ perspective that is referred to as Information Behaviour (IB). In this transition, instead of focusing on the storage and transfer of information only, there has been an emphasis on understanding how people perceive and respond to that information.
The Early Focus: Systems and Sources
The initial focus of research in the field of information science was on ‘information systems’ and ‘sources of information. The process entailed various mediums such as books, periodicals, newspapers, radio, television, libraries, and conferences.
In those years, the concern was not with how people searched for and interacted with information, but with where the information was to be found and how it was organized and distributed. The user was seen as a passive recipient rather than an active participant in the process.
The Advent of User-Centered Research
As the field of study evolved and matured, there was an increasing recognition that the storage and delivery of information was only half the story; people actively sought, interpreted, and made use of that information. This brought about an emphasis on research within the area of Information behavior.
Researchers began to study how people identify their needs for information, where they search for that information, with what difficulties, and what kind of results. The user study shifted the definition of information from a mere process to one that encompasses human motivations, social surroundings, and cognition.
From Systems to Sense-Making
As time progressed, Information behavior research expanded to encompass the area of sense-making the process by which people make meaning from the information presented to them.
One such researcher is Brenda Dervin who pioneered this field with her emphasis that people do not accumulate facts; instead, they construct meaning from information with the aid of personal circumstances and perspectives. Some assumptions that had been deeply ingrained in the earlier understanding of these phenomena include various myths about people’s information behavior.
The Myths about Information Behaviour
In 1976, these concerns led Dervin to identify some ‘dubious assumptions’ about how people relate to information. These ‘myths’ show us that information behavior is more complex even than it seems. We will consider each ‘myth’ in more depth to explore what each one tells us about people’s use of information.
1. Only Objective Information is Valuable
Many people think that only “objective” information—information that is unbiased and free from opinion—is useful. But objectivity is subjective. What might be called objective from one perspective might be something else from another.
People are more likely to look to immediate sources such as friends, Facebook accounts, and familiar websites rather than doing further research. There is no strictly objective data since people always elect what constitutes “truth” to them.
2. More Information Is Always Better
In today’s world with so many digital resources at our disposal, it’s tempting to believe that greater understanding is achieved with more information. But with more information comes the possibility of greater confusion.
What matters most is quality over quantity. The process of accessing useful information and applying that information is more significant to modern society than the mere influx of information.
3. Objective Information Can Be Transmitted out of Context
Data without context can be meaningless. Information that is presented out of context can be misleading and often leads to misconceptions.
A person might disregard isolated facts if he/she cannot correlate them with the bigger picture. This is one reason why context matters to enable accurate interpretation of data.
4. Information Can Only Be Acquired Through Formal Sources
Formal sources such as research journals, libraries, and official reports are important to the creation of knowledge. But these are not the only sources that contain useful information.
Additionally, there are informal means such as talk, personal experiences, and “grey literature.” In this case, one such example is the use of Wikipedia, which is accessible to everyone to explore further. Likewise, “word-of-mouth” is still one of the most credible means to share one’s knowledge.
5. There Is Relevant Information for Every Need
Not all human needs can be answered by information. Information can be used to make decisions and increase understanding, but it cannot answer needs that are emotional, social, or physical.
Knowledge may enlighten but cannot answer the complex needs and challenges of humanity.
6. Every Need Situation has a solution
Libraries, clinics, and info centers function on the presupposition that there is an answer to every problem that can be solved with information. But most needs are either complex or ambiguous in such a way that data fails to answer them.
In some cases, people might need more understanding rather than more information.
7. Information Can Always Be Made Available to People
Although current technology has made more information more accessible to more people, the truth is that there is still no such thing as universal accessibility.
Human needs are dynamic and diverse; therefore, there cannot be a system that provides all the information to all people all the time.
8. The Importance of Family Members’ Involvement
Information requirements are time-consuming. They are dependent on the individual’s context and time. What is needed and useful to him/her today may change over time.
Information-seeking is essentially a process that is situationally driven—experience-based, cultural, and urgent. The producers and custodians of information must therefore ensure that such information is contextual and dynamic.
Why These Myths Matter
Dervin’s myths remind us that information is not something static information is instead a living process that is deeply contextual and steeped in humanity. These fallacies are important to realize so that the design of these processes and services becomes responsive to people’s needs and more realistic.
The Wider Implications
The move from researching Information Systems to researching Information Behaviour marks more than just an academic change; it highlights an understanding and appreciation about the greater meaning that lies within every search made.
In current times, the use of these understandings has applications among information professionals, librarians, and teachers to build systems that are for people rather than data. In that sense, the field has continued to evolve with technology and society.
Conclusion
A shift from a system-based perspective to a user-based perspective on information constitutes a turning point in the development of information science. This reminds us that information is more than mere storage and transmission; rather, it is construed and means something to its user. But by pushing back against these outdated myths and taking a more human-centered perspective, we can get closer to a reality in which information really does empower people.
By Cosmas Fletcher Mbewe Masters Student of Library and Information Science at Mzuzu University
Good job
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